Stray Cat Strut

The question we see most often within RVing with Pets groups is “What do I do with the kitty litter?” When looking at floorpans, we insisted on having a bath and a half so the half bath would be dedicated to the cats. We intended on taking out the toilet in that bath and capping the plumbing. It would be used for a litter box and storage.

As the build came closer, we thought “Hmmmm – it would be nice to be able to have both bathrooms”. We found more uses for the second bath, particularly so guests wouldn’t have to go through the bedroom in order to use the bathroom. So we thought of alternatives. The shower? No, the chances of litter going down the drain and then getting wet was a dangerous proposition for the black tank. In the basement? Well, if anyone could figure out a way to squeeze through places she shouldn’t, it was Nala. So we went with the master bathroom, but out of the way.

We had double sinks in the master bath. We’ve always had double sinks in all but one place but never ever used both sinks. We decided to use the underneath of one sink for the cat litter.

We worked the folks at the Bunkhouse (these folks used to work for Tiffin and branched out on their own – more info here). They also capped the plumbing to the second sink. Because they had so many scrap doors, they used a throwaway door first for the template. Once we approved they made the door and the step for the cats (the step may appear to be going overboard but when you have older felines, it’s nice to give them a helping hand…er, paw).

Door and step

Did this work? Yes, but it took some serious practice and reworking. Understanding that this was a cabinet we’d maybe one day want to use, and because the cats weren’t used to the area yet, we had to allow for some misses.

First, we covered the entire cabinet in plastic, frog tape (so it would easily remove from the cabinet when needed) and then duct tape on top. We lined the entire bottom in more plastic and duct tape for easy cleaning. Finding a litter box to fit the space was problematic but we found there was a Petco litter box that fit. We wanted one side to be higher so taped cardboard to one side. Then covered it with a “litter box liner” (read: it’s a drum liner from Home Depot).

Recreating the quarantine scene from E.T.

Was this fool-proof? No. Particularly when we had a kitty in kidney failure, it was tougher to keep that area clean. We used the potty pads as items we could easily lay on top of the plastic and remove as needed, along with the vinegar spray to get rid of any smells. At first we underestimated the cats’ ability to miss the box, and boy, if they could, they did. We hadn’t initially covered every inch of the cabinet with plastic and layers but in time we learned that was the best way to preserve the cabinet’s integrity.

Now this process is kind of second nature to us, but that was thanks to many mistakes and near-misses!